


Spaghetti Night

by XIntensity_After_DarkX (XIntensity_FallsX)



Series: Radiodust collection [3]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Asexual Character, Cannibalism, Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Mild Language, Personal Growth, Relationship Growth, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 16:47:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19931284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XIntensity_FallsX/pseuds/XIntensity_After_DarkX
Summary: Alastor does a good deed for Angel, and their relationship grows stronger.





	Spaghetti Night

**Author's Note:**

> So, here we are- another story! It's fairly difficult to write these, not having a lot of canon details for characters, but the pull to try and figure it out is still very strong ^^;
> 
> Sorry for the vague summary, but I didn't want to give too much away. This wasn't the one I intended to write, but as I was working on the one that was supposed to be the third story, these boys went book happy. I've saved the other one though, and I'll work on that one next. I hope you enjoy these two on their journey toward understanding each other and what they want/need, I enjoyed writing it :)

“Hey Sugar Tits.”

Angel paged through  _ The Sound and Fury _ he ‘borrowed’ from  Alastor . It was the same book he had started reading when he watching over him.  He frowned in concentration. The narration in the book was all over the place, which seemed purposeful. “Who does this.” He muttered, fully aware of the other demon. He  turned back a page, scribbling down a note on a ragged piece of paper .

“You’re at a fuckin’ club, reading a  _ book _ ? I’m sorry, I thought you were Angel Dust.”

Angel snapped the book shut. “Do you fuckin’ mind? I came here for a drink and to relax. I got the drink, but the fuck if I get to relax with you  yammerin ’ at me!” He stood up and towered over the demon. “ SO what the fuck do you want, you piece of shit?! You got my attention!”

“I-I w-w-wanted to know if you were still-”

“No.” Angel’s one word made the other demon cringe and shrink in on himself.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“You think I care, pal? You want me to be nice and polite? You  gotta start with that. Next time, consider how you fuckin’ approach me. Maybe I’ll let  ya finish next time.” Angel threw some money on the bar for the drink, leaving the club in a huff.

He stomped his entire way back to the hotel, heading down to Baxter’s laboratory. “Hey! Doc!” He knocked on the large metal door. “Do  ya mind if I come in?” A camera came down from the ceiling, lingering on Angel’s face for a second or two. After a moment, the door creaked open. 

“What can I do for you, Angel?” Baxter shut the door behind him once Angel was inside.

“I’m  tryin ’ to get farther in the book I borrowed from Al, but there  ain’t a good place to read! Do  ya mind if I read in your lab? I won’t cause you any trouble.”

Baxter pushed up his goggles and stared up at Angel. “...You  _ borrowed  _ a book from  Alastor ?” 

“Eh.  Ya got me. I stole it.” He fished it out from his coat pocket. “If I can read it fast enough, he might not notice. He’s got a fuck ton of these, what makes this one so special?”

Baxter gave him an amused smile, moving a stack of files off of a chair. “Ah. I see you don’t know how books tend to work.”

Angel flopped down on the chair. “What, it’s got pages full of words. Ya read the words, book’s done! What’s there not to get?”

“True. However, if he was reading that particular book, you may be in trouble. Where was it?”

“His ah... nightstand...?” Angel winced and letting out a long groaning sigh. “Probably means he was  readin ’ it, huh.”

Baxter shook his head and smiled gently. “I wouldn’t worry.  Alastor likes you.  _ Truly _ likes you. I suppose he’ll be less than pleased, so... I’d ask next time. I’m more than certain he’d let  _ you _ borrow it. I’ll leave you to your book.” 

-A day later-

Alastor was nearly frowning. He picked up the threadbare cover on the hotel bed, sticking his head underneath it. Nothing but dust. “Drat.” He pulled his head out, brushing dust from the tips of his ears. “Where could I have possibly put it?” His eyes darted over to where he last saw his book, neatly placed on his side table. Angel was the last one in his room when he left earlier.

Maybe Angel saw him place his book down someplace.

He got up to his feet, dusting himself off. Angel seemed like he was always keeping watch of what he was doing. He rolled his eyes. “For better or worse.” After a brief walk down the hallway, he was about to knock on Angel’s door when a voice stopped him. It sounded like it was coming from outside of Angel’s room.

“Bitch, you said we would!”

“I say a lot of things.” Angel’s voice greeted him, and sounded rather nonchalant. “I  ain’t interested in fuckin’ you, and I returned your money. Far as I’m concerned, we’re done here.”

“What the fuck is better than fuckin’ me?! Who the fuck you got up there that’s better than me?! You tell me right now, slut!”

Alastor’s fists involuntarily tightened. He reached for the knob.

“Right now? William Faulkner.”

Alastor’s eyes widened. 

“Who the fuck is William Faulkner?!”

“ Oh my fucking god, maybe you should go to the damn library instead of worrying about getting your rocks off. Have a pleasant night, Snookums!” There was a loud slam, presumably the window. “Can’t a guy read a book he fuckin’ stole in peace? Geez.” 

Alastor cracked a wide grin and turned away from the door.  _ I can get it back later. I’ve read through that book more than once. _

_ - _

There came a knock at  Alastor’s hotel room the next night . It was a nervous, quick sound, followed by repeated shuffling on the  worn hallway carpet. He picked his head up from  a new  book, setting a bookmark inside. “Come in!” 

The door slammed open, and Angel came in with a hand on one of his arms. Blood pooled up under his sleeve’s white material, dripping down to the floor. “Al, I need a band aid! I’m all out.”

“Bold of you to assume I have any.”  Alastor eyed his arm, and let out a long sigh. “Come on. Come with me.” He reached out and took one of Angel’s hands, leading him into the bathroom. “You said you were going to see your sister, how  in hell  did you get so injured?”

“She’s  havin ’ some problems.” Angel’s voice dropped a level, watching  Alastor remove his gloves, and then unbuttoned his jacket. He wigged his way out of it, letting the garment fall to the ground. “There’s some guys who are  stalkin ’ her place. I gave  im ’ hell. Got me pretty good in the arm with a knife, but that’s what the band aid is for.”

Alastor eyed the long gash in Angel’s arm. He pursed his lips into a strained smile as he held up the bandage. “Ah. Yes. This three-inch bandage is the perfect size for that six-inch-long wound.”

“Yeah!” Angel snatched it from  Alastor’s hand, slapping it across the cut vertically. Blood continued to ooze from the cut, soaking through the thin strip of bandage. “See? It’s keeping it closed. Thanks, Al. You’re the best. Well, I’ll let  ya be-”

“Oh no.”  Alastor extended his finger, pushing it into Angel’s shoulder. He did not fight him, allowing  Alastor to push him back and down until he was seated on the toilet. “You’re hiding something from me.” He took the ruined bandage off of Angel’s arm, keeping a grip on the injured limb. “What else happened?”

Angel’s eyes widened as  Alastor held up a bottle of antiseptic. “Nothing! Nothing else happened. FUCK, ALASTOR.” He  howled out, digging his boots into the bathroom floor when the liquid hit his wound . “OW! OW FINE! I’ll talk, just STOP!”

“-I’m confused, Angel. Stop cleaning your wound so you don’t lose this arm?” 

Angel clamped his mouth shut, glaring up at  Alastor . “... Fiiiiine , fine. You have a point. I  _ guess _ . It just fuckin’ HURTS!” He stamped his feet and bit into his hand. “I fought like ten guys. I did some damage, but the one guy was fuckin’ huge. Like a damn tank. Nothing I did was good enough to bring him down. He fuckin’ stabbed me because he wants my sister and the hell if I was going to let that happen ! ” He bit down on his lip as  Alastor fussed with a piece of clean bandage.  I always  _ hated _ getting' stabbed when I was alive! The recovery sucks ass and not in the fuckin’ fun way!” He directed his eyes upward, until he felt pressure and gauze being tied around his arm.

“There. You’re done.”

“Do I get a lollipop, Nurse Al? I could sure stand to lick  _ somethin _ _ ’ _ .” Angel slurred and then frowned at  Alastor’s flat smile . “Uhhhh sorry. I’m a little lightheaded. Lost a little bit a so-some  blo -” 

Alastor turned just in time to watch Angel fall to the side, into a heap of loose limbs on his bathroom floor, with his ass stuck up in the air. “Of course.” He let out a sigh, going over to gather him up into his arms. “What am I to do with you, Angel? First you steal my book, you bleed all over my clean bathroom, and then you take all of my first aid supplies.” He placed him on his bed, going back to fetch Angel’s discarded coat. In the inside pocket was his missing book. After hanging the coat up, he plucked the book from his pocket and paged through to Angel’s crude bookmark to see where he was . It was more of a folded-up sheet of paper than an actual marker. He made a mental note of what the page was, and unfolded the paper.

In surprisingly neat writing unsurprisingly written in pink ink, was a list of questions.

_ Shit to ask Al. Hopefully he doesn’t think I’m stupid. _

_ 1.) Who the fuck writes like this and calls it good? Did I miss some _ _ trend in book writing in all of the years I did not read in _ _? _ _ (It’s a lot of years, I’ll be honest.) _

_ 2.) How come all the brothers got a narrative voice, but Caddy doesn’t? What’s Faulkner got against sisters? She’s the best character and we don’t hear anything from her and I’m pissed as fuck right now. _

_ 3.) Is the title referencing  _ _ Mac _ _ b _ _ eth _ _?  _

“Oh! It  _ is _ , Angel! I’m so glad you-”  Alastor’s smile was as wide as it could go as he looked over at him. Angel was still passed out on his bed.  A small ball of  white hot fury worked  it’s way up from his gut, and up through his body. His eyes flashed and turned to dials. 

Angel was  _ injured  _ enough to pass out. Someone  _ hurt  _ Angel enough for him to pass out.  _ Someone _ was going to pay. He shook his head, the dials vanishing from his eyes. 

“...Right. I suppose we can discuss the connections of  _ Macbeth _ and  _ Sound and Fury _ when you’re up and feeling better .” He sighed, folding the paper back up and stuck it back into the book. He put it back into Angel’s coat pocket, going to sit down on the edge of his bed. “Of course, you would like Caddy.” He pulled the duvet cover around Angel, considering his words from earlier. “I’ll go check up on her, Angel.”

-

Fat Nuggets scratched his hoof on her front door. Molly frowned, walking over to pick him up. “That’s enough, Fat Nuggets- I can’t have  ya scratchin’ up my door. I can’t afford the paint.” She sat him down in the bed Angel brought over for him. He got up to his little legs, trotting back over to the door again. “Damn, you just don’t want to listen. Sounds like you got that straight from your owner.” She trailed after him stopping just short of the door when a series of cheerful knocks came from beyond the door. 

They were not the instant bangs of the gang leader, nor the hard kicks from any of his cronies. Molly picked up Fat Nuggets, holding him to her chest. “ Maybe... maybe that’s your daddy coming back.  H-Hello? ...Angel? ”

“Hello! Is this the house of Molly Dust?”

The old static and tinny sound of his voice made her gasp. Angel said he was “involved” with the Radio Demon. She rose her voice and yelled, balling her fists in fury at how dangerous he happened to be. No matter what she shouted, Angel rebuffed just as loudly. She clutched Fat Nuggets  closer. “W -w-what- dya -w-w-w ant?”

“Only to help! Please don’t be frightened, madam. Angel said you were having problems with a local gang, and he’s quite injured. Fear not though, he’s resting in my room.”

“Oh Angel. He said he was  gonna take care of those guys. I thought he was  gonna come back after—no wonder it took so long. ” Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “Ya swear you’re not here to murder me?”

“I promise. Will you open the door?” 

Her hand trembled as he clutched the knob. She turned it slowly, letting the warm night flood over the tall, red demon on her porch. He was smiling, much like Angel said he would be. It stretched from one side of his face to another, pushing his red eyes into an upturned,  glowing  expression. “S-so you’re Alastor, huh?” She stepped aside, letting him come in. 

He turned slightly, enough to shut the door. “Why yes! I’m surprised you’d know me by that name. Angel seems to exclusively call me ‘Al’.”

“Yeah, he mentioned he calls you that. ...He mentioned a lot of things.” Fat Nuggets squealed loudly, wiggling wildly in her arms. “I’m sorry! He doesn’t mean to be loud or  nothin ’, Angel let me borrow him for  company while he took care of the gang.”

“It doesn’t sound like he finished the job, hence why I’m here. Though I’m perplexed- would you know why he didn’t ask for my help in this endeavor in the first place ? ”

Molly had to put Fat Nuggets down. He squealed loudly again, heading toward the pet bed. “I... I guess it’s because he... well... he... didn’t want to  trouble ya. He says he bothers ya all of the time with needing your help.”

“Yes, but he  _ still _ required my help in the end, so that was rather fruitless and wasted a lot of time- ”

Molly raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a set of her arms crossing her chest. “I take it  ya didn’t have too many gangsters where ya lived, right?”

“They were there, but I didn’t associate with them.”

“Well, gangsters are real proud people. They  ain’t the sort to ask for help. They don’t want to seem weak, unless it’s absolutely necessary.” She unfolded her arms, brushing her fingers against her tears. “I  _ wish  _ he  woulda asked you. There’s a bunch of  im ’, more than he  coulda taken care of by himself- and he wouldn’t let me help! He kept saying-”

“Let me guess, that he ‘could handle it’?”

“Yeah! That’s it!” Molly frowned harder. “Look, Al, our family’s real fucked up. Angel’s been disowned by everyone except me, he wants to help me no matter what happens to him. He’s my brother, I don’t want him hurt. He’s so sweet on you, and you must feel somethin’ for him if you’re here-”

Alastor let out an uncomfortable cough. “I have nothing to report on that, Miss Dust-”

“-Molly.”

“Very well, Miss Molly. I don’t like seeing Angel hurt, and since the same people who are harming you are the ones who hurt  him , it will be like killing two birds with one stone. Do you know anything about them? Any information will help.”

“Will you let me help?”

Alastor cocked his head to the side. “Well... no. Not because I believe you to be incapable of assisting. You are terrified of me as it is, would do you any mental good to watch me rip apart demons in front of you?”

She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. “S-suppose you got a point. Angel did say you were a smarty pants. Let me get my pocket book. I got some pictures on my camera-” She turned her back on him, feeling her hair start to crackle with static. She cast a look over her shoulder, seeing runes rise up around Alastor. “I ah... what are  ya doin ’?”

“I’m casting.” His eyes flashed and turned to dials. “It appears that there are demons approaching your home. There are  at least ten . The largest is leading them- oh, he’s a mean one- he's got a large knife with him. Do these men sound familiar?”

“Yes! That’s them! Are  ya gonna mess  im ’ up?”

“ Indeed I am! I also see that he hasn’t cleaned Angel’s blood off the knife.” Static filled the air, as the lights in Molly’s warm home went dark. “I don’t wish to sully your home with their entrails, so no matter what—do not let them inside. Wait for me to knock.”

“W-what about you though?”

“Me?  Oh, I assure you- I'll be perfectly fine! ”

“Y-Yeah, okay. Sounds good.” She watched him leave the house, running over to lock the door behind him. Backing up, she grabbed Fat Nuggets from his bed and cuddled him close as the screams began. “Nuggets, what  kinda man has your daddy shacked up with?” She chewed on her bottom lip trying to push the sounds of wet meat slapping against the ground. She reached up and covered the sides of her head to block the sounds of howls of anguish out.  One of them pounded on the door, screaming for any sort of help, only to be silenced mere seconds later.  When silence  fell on the outside world beyond her door , she placed Fat Nuggets back into his bed. On trembling legs, she started over to  her door to peak out of one of the side windows.

Out on her lawn was a slurry of different body parts, gore covering the fake grass.  Alastor was straddling a shaking demon, begging for his life.  He raised his hand into the air, plummeting it into the demon ’s chest. He tore out the heart, licking at his lips as if he was looking at an apple instead of a still beating organ .

A loud crunch filled the air and she felt bile creep into her throat.  She stepped away from the side window, trying to physically shake off what she had seen.  “Angel did mention that he liked eating other demons.” She swallowed, pushing down the nausea. “Wish he  woulda said he was hungry, I  woulda made him  somethin ’.” She looked out the window again. “He seems happy  snackin ’ on that heart , Nuggets . Guess that’s better than him  snackin ’ on us. ” She pursed her lips, glancing off to the side. The largest member of the gang stood up, lumbering toward  Alastor who seemed to be unaware of the danger .

Molly gasped, reaching over to grab the shot gun she hid in the umbrella stand. She ripped open the front door, firing a round into the demon’s back. “Stay away from him!” She shot off another round, and then a third. “Stay away from  _ me _ !”  She loaded, fired, and reloaded until she was out of shells. The large demon turned toward her, flexed, and popped each one of the spent shells from his body. She winced, changing her grip on the gun to clutching the barrel instead, brandishing the handle like a weapon.

“I don’t know what it’ll take to get it through your stupid fucking head, bitch, but you’re my gal.” He  advanced toward her.

Molly gritted her teeth, and planted her feet. She swung the gun, connecting with the demon’s head in a hard, heavy  _ thud. “ _ And stay away from my brother!” The handle  flew off from the impact and hit the lawn.  For a moment, a flicker of fear ran down her back. A flash of red and a jolt of static caught her attention. She smirked and rolled up her sleeves. “Won’t go down, eh? Fine! That’s more than FINE! I’ll kick your ass, lover boy!” 

He advanced on her, his shadow bearing down on her frame. She kept her eyes on his furious face, wanting his attention on her.

“ And by the way- I ain’t your gal!”

The demon stopped fully. His body shook wildly, his limbs flailing about in a wild waving gesture. His eyes bulged out, his mouth hanging open before everything came to a halt. Molly took a step to the side, avoiding the body as it fell to her lawn in a hard crash.  Alastor stood where the demon once had, lit by the dark red sky and sickly street lamps. He held a heart in his hand, the organ still beating faintly. “Well, he was an unpleasant fellow! Now, if you don’t mind-”

“I DO mind, don’t you  _ dare _ eat that thing!”

Alastor’s brows knitted together, and he let out tut-tut.  “Pardon  _ me _ , madam, but I always eat the hearts of my victims-”

“I’ll make you dinner, for  cryin ’ out loud! You don’t know where that’s been, put it down!” She pointed hard at the ground, frowning at him and his confused smile.

“I... I don’t understand. You’ll make me dinner?”

“Yes! Now, drop it!”

Alastor blinked at her, and then looked down to the heart in his hands. “ _ Why _ __ would you do that ? Why go to the trouble for  _ me _ ? ”

Molly extended her arms out at her sides with a loud sigh. “Because I want to! You did something nice for me. Those guys were  gonna hurt me, and I... I  woulda been shit  outta luck,  ya know?” She held out her hand to him. “Come on, come inside.”

Alastor eyed her hand, looking to her face once more. She wore a tired expression, but still managed a smile. His fingers twitched. “If you insist.” He took her hand, allowing her to lead him back inside. Once the warm lights of Molly’s home washed over them, she gasped. 

“You’re covered in blood!”

Alastor looked down at his stained clothes, pulling at his collar briefly to examine it. “Oh, don’t you worry! None of it is mine.”

“Shoes off, mister. I don’t want you tracking blood into my house.” She thrust a shoe horn into his hands, which he promptly used. “You can take a shower in my bathroom. Leave your bloody clothes in the clothes hamper and slide it outside the bathroom door when you’re done- I'll throw them in the wash. There’s a robe on the door you can borrow. I t’s a little girly, but pink is in the same family as red,  ain’t it? And there’s black. It  ain’t too bad,  right?. ”

Alastor’s smile thinned out a bit, met with a look and a smile from Molly he had never seen on another person before. He blinked twice. “ I’m sure it’s lovely, Miss Molly . Thank you for your hospitality! Ah, please lead the way.”

Molly gave him a nod, heading off in front of him toward the bathroom. She stepped inside, gesturing to the knobs. “This is the hot water, and this is the cold water  one. You can use any of the stuff in the shower to clean up. Take your time, dinner’s  gonna take a while and you  gotta a lot of blood to wash off. I’ve hosted a lot of bloodied up mobsters in my time, Angel included. I’ll know if you didn’t do a good job.”

“Hah, you’re quite right. I promise you I will take my time.” Once she was gone, he turned his attention on removing his bloodied clothes and folding them into the plastic laundry basket. He fiddled with the rim of his boxers.  _ I can’t have her washing these, not  _ _ my _ _ under things _ _! _ _ That’s hardly appropriate. I’m not even certain of what my relationship is with Angel. I can’t go and have his sister of all people washing- _

“Whatever under-pinings you got go in there too.”

Alastor felt his cheeks grow hot.  “O-okay!”  He slid them down and pushed them into his clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist, opening up the door to slide the basket out. Molly went to grab it, pausing to look at him. His cheeks turned redder when she noticed his very thin midsection. He pulled up the towel a bit higher in an attempt to hide it.

“Jesus Mary and Joseph, you are one  _ skinny  _ fuck. Don’t worry, I’ll make you somethin’ to put some meat on your bones.” She grabbed up the basket, hustling down the hallway.

“You don’t have to!” He called out after her.  _ Not like it will matter. _ He pressed a hand over his stomach once he was back inside the bathroom. It was always growling mercilessly, nothing he did ever satisfied the hunger. The towel fell from his waist in a heap on the floor as he stepped into the tub. It was an oversized pink marble fixture, filled with many different products.

One in particular caught his attention. “Cookie dough flavor?” He picked up the hot pink container. “Who keeps cookie dough in their bathroom?” He popped open the lid and dipped his fingers into the goo. “This is clearly not cookie dough. This is soap. Who makes soap from baked goods?!” He went to wipe the liquid from his hand on his thigh when he paused. The bit of grit and the smooth feel spreading over his skin felt  _ good _ . Once water struck it, plentiful bubbles foamed up and slipped down his leg.  Alastor uttered a small, impressed sound and dunked his whole hand into the container.

-

When he emerged from the bathroom in Molly’s exceptionally soft pink and black robe, he paused again. The feel of fine silk brushing against all parts of now soft skin made him bite back a moan. “G-goodness.” Was all he managed to get out. Before he could consider anything else, the smell of what Molly was making him flooded his senses. His stomach lurched forward, growling and gnashing at his insides. His eyes had turned to dials. He let go of the robe, his feet moving automatically toward the kitchen.

“Oh! There  ya are! Heh. Found my cookie dough scrub, huh? You’re glowing.”

All he could do was nod, as his dials spun around once. To her credit, Molly swallowed and continued cheerfully, thankfully not drawing any more attention to his state.

“I made you some garlic bread to munch on while I finish up here. Hope you like cheese!” She placed the basket down in front of him, and went back to fussing over a pot on the stove. “Oh, do you like-” The basket of bread was completely gone, and  Alastor was wiping the corners of his mouth off with a napkin. “I ah... Did you like it?”

He blinked and the dials were gone. The kitchen he was in was painted in a bright yellow, with white and black checkered floor. On the wall was a set of novelty sized fork and spoon decoration. The warmth from the room prickled pleasantly at his skin. He sighed out whatever tension the shower did not claim. “It was  _ delicious,  _ madam. Do you have anymore?”

“Uhm, no. You ate an entire loaf. But that’s good! You’re hungry! I’ve got a whole bunch of spaghetti and meatballs for you. I like  cookin ’, so everything’s homemade.”

There came wild knocking at the front door. “MOLLY!! MOLLY, YOU OPEN UP RIGHT NOW! THERE’S A BUNCH A DEAD GUYS ON YOUR LAWN AND I CAN’T FIND AL-”

Alastor sat up at the sound of Angel’s voice. He sounded out of breath and the tremor in his voice made his ears twitch. “He’s lost a lot of blood. It’s mostly all over my bathroom. He may not be himself. ”

“Angel! Hang on, I’ll be right there.” 

Alastor heard the door unlock, and the  _ clip, clip, clip _ sound of Angel’s boots on Molly’s foyer floor.

“Why... why are  ya cookin’, Molls? There’s literally a killing field on your front lawn. I was so fuckin’ worried about ya-”

“Your boyfriend came by and got rid of  im ’ all for me! I’m  makin ’ him dinner. You came by at the right time, it’s pretty much ready.”

“ _ Al _ ?”

“Yeah! He’s in the kitchen. Come on.”

Alastor blinked at the soft way Angel spoke of his tolerated nickname. It was whisper soft, carrying a note of reverence. Molly came back into the kitchen first, humming along as she got another plate out.  Alastor craned his neck to look for Angel, but he did not come around the corner. Another minute passed and no Angel. “Angel, aren’t you coming?”

Boots scuffled around on the floor. “A-are  ya mad, Al? I dragged you into yet another thing and I-”

“I’m not even mad you lifted my book. Don’t be ridiculous and come sit down.”

Angel peaked around the corner, cracking a smile at him in his sister’s robe. “ Gettin ’ your clothes washed, huh?”

“Your sister insisted.”

“You were a bloody mess!” Molly waved a spoon at him as Angel sat down. He sniffed the air.

“Al...? It might be the blood loss talking, but I think  ya smell like cookies.”

“Oh, no. It’s not. I used your sister’s soap! Food scented soap is a bit odd for me, but it certainly made my skin soft.”

Angel’s chair scraped along the floor, until he was pressed against  Alastor’s side. He shoved his face into  Alastor’s neck. “ Ya smell so  _ good _ , Al.”

Something about the way Angel said those words sent an odd thrill through him. He cleared his throat. “ Ahaha , Angel... That’s quite enough.”

“For fuck’s sake, Angel! Let im’ eat.” Molly clapped all of her hands at him. Angel pouted and inched his chair two inches away from Alastor. Plates of food were soon heaped in front of them. 

Molly’s plate and Angel’s seemed like a more natural proportion.  Alastor’s however, looked like it was ten pounds of pasta, meatballs, and sauce. His eyes widened slightly, and then trailed over to Molly and Angel to watch how they ate. Once he felt confident enough, he picked up a fork. “We didn’t have this type of food where I came from.”

“You’re in for a treat, Al.” Angel grinned. “Molly’s a real artist when it comes to food.” 

Once he got a fork full in his mouth, Molly and Angel’s chatter seemed to fade away into pleasant noise. He ate bite after bite, pausing now and then to watch the two siblings chat with each other. Angel seemed livelier, and Molly’s posture went from the rigid women he had first met to gracious hostess. Warmth spread through him in a gentle wave. The more it flowed through him, the less food he began to eat. A hand patted his stomach as the  ever-present growl began to slow.

Angel placed  his hand over the one on his stomach. He squeezed his hand. “Do  ya like it, Al?”

He swallowed and nodded , squeezing Angel’s fingers .

“Do  ya want some wine?”

Another nod, and Angel got up from his chair to go grab a bottle from Molly’s wine rack. He squeezed  Alastor’s shoulder on the way, smiling at him with such an earnest warmth that he felt his face heat up.  _ Is this how people have dinner with each other? _ He tapped his fork on the plate.  _ I’ve been alone for so long. Even eating with others when I was alive... It never felt like this.  _ At some point, there was a glass of wine placed in front of him. Angel and Molly were back at their chatter, and he went back toward finishing his dinner with Angel’s hand on the back of his chair.

After two more bites, he looked at what remained. Some spaghetti, a meatball. He went to take more, but the found that there was no reason to.

Alastor was  _ full _ .

His fork clattered loudly on the plate. His hands went to his stomach. There was no roiling, boiling, hunger rumbling beneath his fingers. There was simply  _ nothing _ . “I’m full.” 

“Oh good!” Molly stood up. “You ate most of  it! I gave you a lot. You must have been crazy hungry.”

Alastor leaned in his chair, letting his head lull back as a slow, real smile crossed his face. “ _ Very _ .” He reached over and took one of Angel’s hands, giving it a squeeze.

Angel cupped the side of his face, before letting his fingers card through his hair. “ Ya look  real peaceful, Al. Oh! And your hair smells like raspberries!”

-

An hour passed while they listened to music in Molly’s living room. Angel had his head in  Alastor’s lap as they sat on her floral couch, gesturing wildly at the ceiling while he rambled on about something.  Fat Nuggets was napping in his pet bed, having calmed down a bit after seeing Alastor.  A strange sort of pleasant haze claimed him, filling him with warmth. Angel’s words drifted in and out, punctuated with a comment from Molly here and there. His fingers carded through Angel’s fluffy white hair, earning a coo from him. “I’ve never had a night like this before.”

“In hell?” Molly asked and passed him a cup of tea.

Alastor sat the cup down on the end table. He rested his head on the back of the couch, letting his eyes close. “No. Ever.”

Angel sat up slowly. “Hey Molls, can we stay the night here? Al’s  lookin ’ pretty peaceful. It’s a decent trek back to the hotel in all .”

“Oh no, I don’t want to intrude-” 

“You won’t! You both can stay here. I have a spare bedroom you both can take. Your clothes are takin’ a second wash to get all the stains out from your massacre so it’ll still be awhile.”

Angel grinned a bit, punching Alastor lightly in the arm. “You really went to town on those fucks!”

Alastor’s smile turned to a grin. “They were inspiring, what can I say? Miss Molly, if you’re certain we won’t be a bother, then... I see no reason why we can’t stay.”

“Excellent! You enjoy that tea, honey. I’m going to make sure the room’s ready for company.”

“Hold up, Molls. I’m  comin ’ with ya!” Angel got up from the couch, following close behind his sister. Once they got to the spare room, he placed a hand on the door before she opened it. “Hey. Do you have any massage oil?”

“Massage oil? You  ain’t tryin ’ to do hanky  panky shit with your boyfriend under my roof-”

“No, actually! Al’s not like that. He doesn’t do sex.”

Molly blinked at him. “...You’re  datin ’ a guy who won’t have sex with you?”

“Yeah! We got a good thing  goin ’ without the bumping uglies. I’d fuck him in a heartbeat if he changed his mind, but... even if he doesn’t, I’m alright with it. Surprisingly.” He shrugged a shoulder.

Molly crossed a set of arms over her chest. “Ange, you’re the most sex  obsessed person I know. How the fuck  are you surviving without any attention?”

“ Ehh ... I’m  livin ’.  It  ain’t easy, that’s for sure.  I’m reading Al’s book on my spare time instead of fuckin’ random guys. It’s pretty good, but I got questions I gotta ask him about it because I feel like I’m  missin ’ some stuff and I don’t know if the one thing being like the other thing is essential to the story.” 

“...You’re willingly reading?”

“Yeah?” Angel rubbed the back of his neck. “...I like it. Do you think that makes me a nerd? Because Al’s kind of a nerd, but I like it. It’s hot. Red headed smart fuckers are hot.”

“No! You’re not a nerd!” Molly wrapped her arms around him. “You’re  readin ’ books and bein’ more mindful and I just... Bless that weird cannibal dear demon on my couch downstairs.” She pulled back and wiped a tear from her cheek. 

“So yeah... uh... do you have the oil? I’d like to do  somethin ’ nice for Al. He’s always saving my dumb ass from shit. And now you. I’m getting the distinct vibe that he doesn’t do anything nice for himself. Ever. Or have nice things happen to him. ...Ever. So maybe I could do nice things for him! It’s... it’s nice to see him happy.”

“Yeah, I got a bunch. I’ll leave it on the bedside table. Go on, go downstairs. Go be with your man.”

-

After another hour of conversation, Angel found himself leading a shuffling  Alastor to the guest room. He had a loose hold on  Alastor’s hand, a lazy grip created by too much wine and a heavy dinner. He opened the door for them, gesturing for  Alastor to go inside. “Hey- before we nod on off...  C’mere , Al. I  wanna do  somethin ’ good for you.” He directed them both to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Alastor looked over at him with a small, tired smile. “Angel-” 

“It’s not sexual, I swear.” He picked up a bottle of oil, and pulled off a pair of his gloves. “I want to pamper you.”

“And I’m still not sure why you  _ would _ .  I don’t deserve whatever nice thing you’d like to do to me.  Your sister was also instant on that by making me dinner and letting me use her most likely very expensive bath goods. ...I should buy her more of the one thing I used a touch too liberally.”

“The cookie dough scrub?”

Alastor made a small noise and looked anywhere but Angel’s face.

He snickered , and extended a pair of his hands to him. . “Uh huh. Trust me, she’ll be tickled pink that  ya liked it that much. C’mon, Al. Give me one of your hands. ”

Alastor eyed his hands, pursing his lips at Angel. He recoiled one of his hands to his chest. “You still didn’t answer.”

“Well... because I appreciate the shit you do for me, and now Molly. I  ain’t powerful like you are, so I can’t return the favor like that. Nor can I give you a good fuck, since you don’t like that. But! But. I can totally do  somethin ’ nice for  ya . I don’t want you feeling like I just take from you all the time without  givin ’ anything back. Plus I... I really like when you smile. Not the fuckin’ ghastly grinner shit you’re usually pulling. Like, when you’re actually happy about  somethin ’. I want to see  _ that _ smile.” 

Slowly  Alastor lowered his hand, placing in in between Angel’s outstretched hands. He kept his eyes off of Angel, and on their hands. Angel grinned widely and pressed  Alastor’s hand between his own. He pressed his thumbs into the fleshy part of  Alastor’s palm, working the area in slow circles. “There’s  nothin ’ like a good massage! You tell me if this is too much and I’ll stop.”

A few minutes later, he had worked his way past  Alastor’s wrist and up his forearm. He trailed his fingertips down his arm, letting them fall to his side. “How’s that? Do  ya want me to do your other arm?”

Alastor wordlessly thrust out his other arm, his eyes focused on watching exactly what Angel was doing. Once he was done, Angel placed  Alastor’s hand back in his lap.

“You’re real quiet, Al. Did I-” Angel’s words  died the second  Alastor leaned in and kissed him. His heart flip flopped. Getting kissed by  Alastor was a rare event- he hadn’t had the pleasure since the incident in the club. He gathered part of his robe, pulling him in closer.  Alastor did not pull away, instead, he leaned further in. All sets of Angel’s arms wrapped around him, keeping him close. The kiss continued for a good long time, a quiet embrace of limbs and lips ending only when Angel pulled away. “I love this-” He placed a fingertip against  Alastor’s lips. “But if we keep going, I’m  gonna want more. I don’t want to put you in that situation unless you want to be.”

“Thank you.”  Alastor kissed his finger. “For... several things.” He leaned into Angel’s hand when it carded through his hair. “Bed?”

“Yeah!” Angel grinned and pecked  Alastor’s cheek.  Off went his coat and skirt, where he paused once more. “Uh, you still okay with me  sleepin ’ with you, and like this? I don’t have pajamas or a robe or  nothin ’ here, but I could probably borrow somethin’ from Molly-”

Alastor tilted his head to the side, and then to the other. “You slept with me like that the last time, it’s totally fine. Plus, if your sister’s other items are made of similar fabric to this robe, then... well, it’s... it’s ah... Better this way.” 

A knowing smirk spread across Angel’s face. He clambered into bed with him, laying pressed against his side. “ So ah... Al. Can I ask you a question? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with some of the uh... material I’ve got to entertain myself with. ”

“Is it about my nipples?”

Angel let out a bark of laughter. “No, but now I have  _ two _ questions.”

“The answer to the nipple question is no. You may ask your legitimate question.”

“Damn it.” Angel snapped his fingers, resting his head on  Alastor’s chest. “Okay well— Here’s my question. What do you miss most about bein’ alive?”

“The stars.” The words came out like a murmur, and without a moment of hesitation.

“Movie stars?”

“No, no. Actual stars. When I was a young boy, I liked sleeping out underneath them. We lived outside of New Orleans, enough where they felt like an endless expanse of tiny pin pricks of light. As long as you could see them in the bayou, you were never truly lost.”

“Wait, were you one of those guys who could read  im ’, and shit?”

“Why yes! I knew all of the constellations.” He grinned. “My favorite was the summer triangle.”

“Did it look like a fuckin’ triangle?”

“Yes, I-- why?”

“Because all of those things never look like the thing they’re supposed to represent. Except for the spoon ones.” 

Alastor chuckled, pulling the blanket further around them. “You’re right, they don’t often tend to. May I ask you the same question?”

“Oh sure! It  ain’t romantic like yours, but I miss how easy it was to get stuff. Like, if I wanted Italian, I could go get some. If I wanted a cake, I could go fuckin’ get it, but since the restaurants down here are pretty slim, and there’s no bakeries- I can’t get anything I want. Other than  that though? Nothing else. When I was alive, I couldn’t be  me. I couldn’t do drag or fuck men. …I  ain’t fucking any men right now though, to be honest.”

“Why is that?”

“I like  _ you _ , I don’t want to fuck another guy. The sick part is that I KNOW you won’t have sex with me, but it feels cheap somehow now thinkin ’ about fuckin’ other men . I like getting what I get from you. The other stuff I can handle , I got shit to take care of it .” Angel pe e ked up at  Alastor , watching his face soften. 

“Angel, I don’t want you to not do something you like because of me. You can go have sex with someone, that won’t bother me. I can’t give you that, I’m not going to be angry-” 

Angel sat up in a huff. “You  ain’t even mad if someone fucks me?!” His brows furrowed and he frowned. “The fuck, Al-”

“-You didn’t let me finish. I won’t be angry so long as they don’t kiss you.  _ I _ like kissing you. Oh, and you don’t stay with them after.”

He blinked several times, his eyes wide. “So... what if they  wanna hold my hand?”

“Not allowed.” 

Angel rubbed under his chin. “That shouldn’t be a problem, no one holds hands with a porn star. ‘ Cept for you. Oh! My tits... what if they want to-”

“No no. That’s simply unacceptable. I’ve sculpted those before, I’ve rested my head in them. I don’t want just any demon doing... whatever they’re going to do with them! Everything that we don’t do is fine to do though! However, eating and now listening to music is completely off the table as well.”

“Uh huh. Al, I get the feeling you got no idea on what people do with prostitutes. ” Angel bit back a laugh. “I think I’ll just refrain until I really need to. I uh... I gotta confess  somethin ’ to  ya , Al. I stole your book you were reading. I started reading it when you were tuned out and I wanted to finish it. I  shoulda asked you before I took it. I’m sorry- but I’m also not  givin ’ it back until I finish it. I didn’t read at all when I was alive, I thought it was a waste of time.  Which is  kinda why I asked you that question. I feel like I fucked up some things while  bein ’ alive. I  _ shoulda _ read more.  I like it. I’ve been reading in my spare time, and takin’ notes for stuff I want to ask you.”

Alastor sat up, taking a pair of Angel’s hands in his own. “I would have appreciated you asking, but I’m  _ thrilled _ you are reading my book. I look forward to discussing it with you when you’re finished.  Though ... A-a re you  _ certain _ you’re fine without any sexual activity from my part?”

“...No... But... It’s because I’m used to my relationships being all about sex,  ya know? What we got has so much more I’m not used to having. I  _ saw _ all those demons on the lawn, Al. You saved my sister, and I didn’t even have to ask you. They  woulda hurt her, or killed her and I wouldn’t have been there to help her- you just... you  _ did it _ for me. None of my Johns would have done  that. They  wouldn’a cared.” Tears stung at his eyes. He wiped them away, shaking his head. He sucked in a few breaths, clearing up the tears from his face before looking up at  Alastor once more. He felt the other demon squeeze his hands in response. “I woulda felt like a pile of garbage if she got hurt and I couldn’t help her. I don’t know what I woulda done. I’m trying to not get sexy with you, but fuck—it's  _ so hard _ as that’s how I show my love. I just  gotta be different with you. It’s hard, I’m lazy, but it’s also worth it. I’ll figure out how to spoil you because I  _ want  _ to show you how much I care for you. Like the massage! You seemed to like that.”

“I did. No one’s ever done something like that for me before. It was very enjoyable!”

“Well, I figured your hands and arms might be a little sore after ripping through all those demons.”

“Aha, yes. That too was very enjoyable. This whole night has been, actually.” He let go of one of Angel’s hands, placing one on his stomach. “I... I need to tell you something about me. I’m not really good at those sorts of things, so I’m not sure how to go about this. I suppose I might have to think about the best way to tell you, but... ah... For now, please know that this night has been one of the best I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at  _ peace _ before.”

“Yeah?” Angel beamed at him. “Think of this as just the beginning, Al! You and me are  gonna have all the best nights together. This one is  gonna be pale in comparison, I promise! We’ll have crazy nights at the club, and rough shit up-” One of  Alastor’s fingers pressed against his lips.

“I liked this kind of night, Angel. It’s perfect.”

“But we didn’t even do nothin’! We ate dinner with my sister, sat on the couch and had tea, and now we’re talkin’ before we hit the hay. Where’s the fun in that?”

“ As I mentioned before,  I’ve  _ never _ had this kind of night before. I want more. ”

Silence fell over Angel. He searched for any kind of insincerity in  Alastor’s face. When he found nothing but a small, sad smile he reached for his other hand and squeezed it. “What  _ happened _ to you when you were alive?”

“Nothing I’d like to ruin tonight with by remembering.”

“Then we won’t talk about it.” Angel reached out to him, guiding  Alastor’s head to his chest. There was a soft puff of air on his fluff from  Alastor’s breath. His fingers traced over his cheek, down his neck, over his ears, and finally his antlers.  Alastor gave a shudder, shutting his eyes. Not long after, the soft sounds of sleep slowly came from him. Angel carefully lowered them both down to the bed. “Night, Al.”

Angel stared up at the guest room’s ceiling, listening to  Alastor’s slow, even breathing. He thought of his father’s hatred of him, echoed in the words of his brother. He thought of  Alastor’s quiet pain, and whatever past he would not speak of. 

“I’ll be there whenever you’re ready.”

-End


End file.
